Does Jay-Z’s Flaunting Of His 1% Status Make Him Scrooge?

While Jay-Z is undeniably one of my favorite rappers of all time, he also has an insane knack for braggadocio and conspicuous consumption. That’s not to say it’s anyone‘s place to judge him (it’s not like he’s some bratty heir rolling around in a Maybach) considering he’s also a self-made mogul.

However, many are getting fed up. Perfect example: there was intense backlash after it was revealed that his “Occupy All Street” t-shirts did not benefit the movement, but merely were going into the already deep pockets of his Gucci tuxedo pants.

Now to drive home the point even further, Daniel Edwards, a successful sculptor who frequently creates celebrity-inspired work, has created a piece featuring Jay with large dollar-sign bling around his neck and busts of Mr. Burns, Scrooge McDuck, and Richie Rich on top of him.

Edwards spoke to XXL about “The Scrooge Totem Pole,” stating, “I think Jay-Z has made himself a face of [the] Wall Street that Occupiers are protesting against. Maybe Jay-Z is striving to be in the one percent? Which is why I chose the composition of a totem pole because I thought it would resemble the number one. Rap stars who turn ‘Scrooge’ have to suffer some damage to their street credibility.”